


NIGHTMARES

by Shadows_of_Fire_and_Blood



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, anime - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Bad Dreams, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, pairings only if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27643685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadows_of_Fire_and_Blood/pseuds/Shadows_of_Fire_and_Blood
Summary: Two boys, two demons, two bad dreams
Kudos: 7





	1. Ciel And Sebastian

Ciel Phantomhive was not one to show emotion, the 12 year old Earl often acted so much older than he was, his eyes and posture reflected his emotional control and maturity, maturity far beyond his years, however cracks could sometimes be seen in his emotionless façade, such as the times Sebastien suggest his young master retire to bed but Ciel would resist, insisting on staying up to finish reading a book he was not even halfway through yet.

Or when Ciel refused to eat certain vegetables Sebastien had prepared for supper, typical behaviour for any child, Earl or not. It was at night however that Ciel’s more child-like and more vulnerable side would show.

Since his traumatic experiences as a child; his parents death in the fire that destroyed the original Phantomhive manor, and all those months kept as a slave in a cult, Ciel suffered the most horrific nightmares, especially in the first few months after he returned to the manor with Sebastien.

_He was running along a dark corridor, he could feel the heat of the orange and red flames as they burned the walls on either side of him and licked at his ankles, he coughed occasionally as the smoke invaded his lungs and irritated his asthma_

_“Sebastien!” Ciel called, still trying to run from the flames, Sebastien where are you?!” he called again._

_He stopped abruptly in front of a door at the very end of the corridor, he tried twisting the handle but the door didn’t budge, either locked or jammed._

_“Sebastien where are you I need you!” Ciel screamed, trying desperately to open the door, to no avail, where was Sebastien? Ciel’s demon butler always came when Ciel called to him, why wasn’t he here now?_

_Why wasn’t Sebastien rescuing him from the fire? Why? As the scalding flames crept closer and closer to Ciel’s body he continued to scream for Sebastien to come and help him, his screams started to become more incoherent…_

Ciel felt himself being shaken, he heard a distant voice saying something, but it sounded too far away to hear it properly, a gasp escaped Ciel’s lips as he jerked awake, sitting up, breathing heavily and shaking violently, Ciel looked to his left, his demon butler stood over him, a look of concern clearly visible on his features

“Se…Sebastien…” Ciel stammered, sitting up in his bed to

“Master, you were, well… you were screaming in your sleep, I thought you may be in danger so I immediately came to see what the trouble was.” Sebastien said, explaining his presence

“It…it was noth…nothing, just a st…stupid dream.” Ciel stammered

The teal haired boys’ voice hoarse from screaming and his shivering interfering with his speech, however a second later Ciel felt a familiar dampness on his cheeks, his eyes stung and his vision was blurry

“Master.” Sebastien said softly.

Ciel was aware of something soft being pressed into his hand, it was a handkerchief. Ciel rubbed his eyes furiously with said handkerchief, embarrassed and furious with himself for displaying weakness in front of his butler; Sebastien passed his young master a glass of cool water, which Ciel sipped gratefully

"If I may ask master, what this dream was about? It sounded more like a nightmare if I may be so bold as to say my lord.” Sebastien asked politely

Ciel shook his head in defiance. He could feel himself breaking down, if he dared to try and speak about his dream…nightmare, he would break, a few moments of silence past before Ciel spoke again

“I was trapped. Running along a burning corridor, there was a door at the end, but when I tried to go through it…it wouldn’t open. I tried to get out but the door jammed, I called for you, I called so many times.” Ciel wept,

His shoulders shaking with emotion, this, as well as the content of Ciel’s nightmare actually succeeded in shocking Sebastian, who had been alive long enough to be very difficult to shock. But the fact that the reason for Ciel’s’ screams had been because he hadn’t been there to save him.

“Why? Ciel demanded angrily, moving so that he was on his knees in front of Sebastien

“Why didn’t you come, I kept calling for you but you didn’t come, stupid demon!”

Ciel raged, beating his fists against the demons chest, Sebastien stood and took the, rather feeble, beating as a good butler would, when Ciel’s hits became weaker he gently took hold of his masters wrists.

Ciel collapsed, exhausted against Sebastien, angry tears where still flooding down the twelve year olds cheeks

“You were supposed to come and get me Sebastien. You were meant to come and save me like you always do. You never came.”

Ciel fell against his demon and cried, barely feeling Sebastian place caring hands on the boys back, rubbing soothing circles through the boy’s nightshirt.

Finally Ciel could barely keep his eyes open, Sebastien eased Ciel back under the warm covers

“You should try and get back to sleep master, tomorrows schedule is quiet full.” Sebastien suggested

But when he picked up the candelabra and took a step away from the side of the bed Ciel grabbed hold of the cuff of his sleeve

“Se…Sebastian, will you stay with me…until I fall asleep?” Ciel whispered

He spoke as though afraid someone might hear his rather childish requested, although surprised, Sebastien set the candelabra back on the bedside table and turned to Ciel, he sunk to one knee and placed one hand over his heart, or where his heart would be if he wasn’t a heartless demon

“Is that what my master orders?” he replied softly.

His blood red demon eyes boring into Ciel’s blue ones

“Yes.” Ciel said simply, the purple pentagram which signified his contract with Sebastien glowed as Ciel spoke, not moving his eyes from his butler’s.

Sebastien rose from the carpeted floor after a few moments

“Then what kind of butler would I be if I did not follow orders my young lord?” Sebastien commented.

After a nod of consent from Ciel, Sebastien settled himself sat on the edge of the bed; he extinguished all but one candle at his master’s request.

“You won’t ever leave me will you Sebastien?” Ciel asked drowsily, huddling further into the warm, comfortable sheets.

“I swear my lord. I will not leave your side until our contract is fulfilled and I have obtained your soul.” Sebastien vowed

“Good.”

This was Ciel’s last, slightly slurred word before he slipped back into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.


	2. Alois And Claude

A shrill and terrified shriek rips through halls of Trancy manor, shattering the late night silence that had fallen just over an hour ago, the young master of the house, 14 year old Alois Trancy was in the middle of one of his nightmares, the young teen twisted and writhed in distress as he slept, occasionally releasing the odd distressed whimper.

Yet no one attempted to wake him, no one rushed to his room to save him from his own subconscious, the pain of his own past.

The blue eyed boy finally fought off the nightmare, bolting up suddenly in his bed when as his own screams woke him, cold sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, and his breathing was ragged and uneven.

Alois sat trembling violently for a few seconds, tears stinging his eyes, Alois then flopped back down on his pillow, rolling on his side he curled into himself and broke down into pitiful sobs and fearful whimpers

“Claude.” he choked,

If someone had been standing perhaps halfway across the room they would not have heard his pleading cry

“Claude.”

He tried again, this time his voice was louder

“CLAUDE!” he cried clearly

Crossing his arms over his chest and digging his nails into his own shoulders he crushed his eyes shut tightly.

“Claude where are you? I need you! Claude!”,

Why wasn’t his butler there? Why hadn’t he rushed to wake him when he screamed?

“ _Hoheo Taralna, Rondero Tarel”_

His sobs were desperate and despairing as Alois repeated his chant over and over, hoping it would work in summoning his demon to him.

The door to his bedroom finally opened, and Claude stepped calmly into the room, walking to his masters bedside with no sense of urgency

“Master is everything alright?” Claude inquired, his voice void of any emotion or concern.

As soon as Alois realized that he was there, the boy flung himself at Claude, gripping the front of the demons tailcoat, which quickly became damp with Alois’ tears. Claude resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the fourteen year old Earl.

Instead he reluctantly placed his hands on each of Alois’ shoulders as his young master babbled

“Claude it was awful, I was running through the forest, and I…Luca…it was so dark… I, I called for you and you…you didn’t come. I heard you and I knew you were there but you ignored me. I _ordered_ you to come but you didn’t Claude! I was so alone…”

Alois cried harder now, he had wrapped his arms around Claude’s waist, clinging to the deadpan demon who sighed

“Highness, it was just a dream, Images in your subconscious, nothing to scream about surly.” Claude sighed in frustration while patting his masters’ shoulder blade awkwardly.

However Alois Trancy was still crying and clinging to Claude, blind to his irritation and disgust. After serving him for so long Claude was tired of his childish master.

The flavour of Alois polluted soul sickened him, as did the thought of completely devouring such a soul when their contract was complete. Claude waited for the day he devoured Alois’ soul, just to be rid of the spoilt, whining child along with his grimy soul and search for another, more satisfying meal.

Until then Claude had to do his best to act like the perfect, devoted butler, till his masters wish was completed and his soul would be Claudes’ to consume, and after so long without a soul to feed on Claude was coming to point where even the consumption of his masters distasteful soul was becoming more and more appealing.

Alois still hadn’t ceasing his fearful sobbing

“Promise me Claude. Promise you won’t ever leave me…” he snivelled.

Claude looked down at his master ; his eyes had switched from golden in colour to their demon form, deep, blood red with black snake like pupils

“Yes, your highness.” Claude answered bluntly

Alois, who had his cheek pressed against Claude’s stomach, smiled weakly through his tears.

‘I didn’t even order him to say that. He said it because he _cares_. Claude _really_ cares for me. He _does_.” Alois repeated to himself silently, being so focused on his inner mantra, Alos didn’t appear notice Claude’s hands disappear from his shoulders so that they were now pin straight at his sides, or the way Claude’s body stayed as rigid and emotionless as ever.


End file.
